Connecting Rod Ch. 05-06

Chapter 5: A New Year

December 31, 1968

I was invited to a New Year's Eve celebration sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. At first I declined, stating that I had my employees to entertain. When they were welcomed along with my mother, I quickly accepted the invitation. It seemed that I was a welcome new face in the downtown, and I was starting to be recognized among many of the businessmen of Bellingham.

The party caused some brief consternation for Shelly. She didn't have a dress and wouldn't attend without something appropriate to wear. Mom solved that quickly with a fast trip with Shelly to the new Bon Marche. There was no discussion and no debate. Shelly would have a new dress and that was final. Shelly had learned not to argue with my mother.

As I heard from them later, the two walked out of the department store giggling like a pair of schoolgirls. Bags loaded with two new dresses, two blouses, several pairs of nylons, undergarments, and two pair of shoes. Shelly was going to look like a modern young woman if mother had anything to do with it. The shoes weren't platform and the dress wasn't a "mini," but both were pretty sexy for this town. The rest of Shelly's attraction would be Shelly herself, on display.

The dance lessons were something else. Shelly had little experience with conventional dancing and was very unsure of herself. Mom wasn't much help. She and Dad seldom had the chance to dance, and teaching Shelly what little she knew was hopeless. It was Jurgen who came to the rescue. He knew how to dance and it was he who taught Shelly and Mom. I was surprised at how quickly my mother picked up the basics. She and Jurgen seemed to fit together like they had been doing this for years.

Shelly and I practiced as well. Not quite as smooth, but in the end, we were at least fairly sure we wouldn't embarrass ourselves. That lovely, full body of Shelly's was a real pleasure to hold on to, so I enjoyed every minute of practice. I got the impression Shelly did too.

When the two women walked downstairs on New Year's Eve to present themselves, Jurgen and I could only stare. They didn't just look completely different, they looked spectacular. Their dresses, their hair, their makeup .... Suddenly, Jurgen and I weren't so confident. These two women looked incredible and we felt a bit overwhelmed. Neither of us had ever seen the two women presented so beautifully.

Shelly's dress was short in the current fashion of young people. It was a colorful but subtle print with a low neckline that emphasized her large breasts. I had a very hard time keeping my eyes directed at her face. I was dressed in a blazer and slacks, a light blue wide-collared shirt and a very wide multi-colored tie.

"Holy cow, Shelly. You look fantastic," I exclaimed, as she bounced into the living room.

"Thanks," she giggled. She was swinging between nervousness and elation. She was slightly uncomfortable about the cleavage and the shortness of the dress. Mom had insisted the dress was fine and the salesgirl had said it was just right for a young woman of her age.

My mother was wearing a dark red knee-length sheath with a neckline that wasn't quite as daring as Shelly's, but was unusual for her. This was a whole new look for my mother. She looked terrific – very classy. Apparently Jurgen thought so as well. He was smiling from ear to ear as she approached him. He was wearing an older-style three button charcoal suit with a starched white shirt and dark red tie. He was, as always, immaculate.

As we escorted our ladies into the ballroom of the hotel, I felt we was truly now a part of the community. They had invited us here and when I looked around, I didn't feel out of place. These people had made it easy for us to become part of them. A number of the men walked over with their wives to introduce themselves to us. I was really happy that our "family" had been accepted so readily.

We enjoyed a very nice three course meal, each table supplied with wine, courtesy of the hotel. Shelly was particularly careful and sipped her single glass very cautiously. She wasn't cautious with the meal, however. She ate everything and more than once commented on how much she enjoyed the food.

The dancing started just after nine that evening and I waited until there were a number of couples on the floor before asking Shelly to dance. I followed Jurgen and Mom as they walked out onto the large dance floor. It took Shelly and me a few seconds to find our rhythm and remember the steps, but once we found the right pace, we were fine. We danced the first three numbers, holding each other at a distance as we hadn't yet felt at ease.

As I looked around the floor, I noticed that other young couples were dancing much more closely. Their bodies were in contact with each other and I wondered if I could encourage Shelly to dance closely too. She was beginning to relax as we spent more time on the floor. I could feel the tension in her to begin with, but I could also feel it gradually lessen.

I glanced over at my mother and Jurgen and saw them gliding effortlessly together. They were closer together than when they started, and the smile on my mother's face told me that she was enjoying herself. I turned to Shelly.

"Have a look at Mom and Jurgen," I said quietly.

Shelly looked around before spotting them and then smiled.

"She's having a good time, Rod. She looks happy. I'm glad."

"Me too. You think there might be something going on between her and Jurgen?"

Shelly laughed into his shoulder as she moved closer to him.

"It took you this long to figure that out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, your mom and Jurgen have been spendin' time with each other for the last two months at least." she said. "Don't look so surprised. They're both about the same age and single. Your mom is a really nice lady ... good lookin' and a real nice person. You're pretty lucky, you know."

"Yeah ... I guess I am. Jurgen's a good guy too. They look good together, don't you think?"

Shelly had a smile on her face that confounded me. It was as if she knew something that she was keeping to herself.

"Let's go sit a spell, Rod. My feet are a bit sore in these new shoes."

I led her back to our table and pulled the chair out for her.

We had no sooner sat when a well dressed man came over to the table and asked me for permission to dance with Shelly.

"Uhmmm ... sure ... I mean ... that's up to her," I finally managed.

Shelly looked at me and then at the man standing between us.

"Uh ... I'm kind of resting my feet right now," she said. "Maybe later?"

"Oh ... sure ... I understand. My name's Roger. Maybe I'll come back in a while for that dance," he smiled.

As he walked away, Shelly turned to me with a funny look.

"What was that all about? What did he want?"

I laughed. "Well, my best guess is he thought you were one of the best looking women at the party and he wanted to dance with you."

"Oh."

"Have you ever been to a party like this before?" I asked.

"Uh ... no."

"So ... all this is new, right?"

"Yeah ... I guess so. I didn't know what to say. What should I have said?" she asked, looking at me intently.

"Whatever you felt like. If you wanted to dance with him, just say yes."

"And that wouldn't bother you? I mean ... I came to the party with you."

"He just wants to dance with you, Shelly. I don't mind," I replied, not quite truthfully.

"Oh." She looked almost disappointed.

I poured Shelly another glass of wine and she sipped this one a bit less cautiously than her first. She was looking around the dance floor at the couples, paying attention to how they acted with each other as well as what the other younger women were wearing. Mother had been right, the women of Shelly's age group all wore short skirts or dresses and most had low necklines. Perhaps now she would feel less conspicuous.

At last, Jurgen and Mom returned to the table. They had been out on the dance floor for nearly twenty minutes and they came back smiling and talking to each other.

"Shelly, let's go to the ladies room while it's not so busy," Mom suggested.

Shelly looked a bit puzzled, but rose and walked with my mother toward the corridor leading to the washrooms.

"You looked like you were really having a good time, Jurgen," I said after a short silence.

"Ja. Your mother is a very good dancer. She is very ... schick?" he said, trying to find the English equivalent.

"Elegant! Yes, that's a good word. She is, isn't she. You'd never know she was a rancher's wife not that long ago."

"She is a very fine lady." Jurgen seemed lost in thought.

"Have you told her that?" I asked, taking a chance.

Jurgen looked at me in surprise. "No ... I would not dare."

I said nothing. I knew Jurgen was being very cautious. This was all new territory for him. He admitted it had been a long time since he had been with a woman, and even longer since he had formed a friendship with one. He might be afraid his feelings wouldn't be returned and he wasn't going to risk ruining what he enjoyed with my mother.

Mom and Shelly returned from the ladies room with smiles, chatting with each other until they neared the table. Both Jurgen and I rose to pull out the women's chairs. It was silent for a few moments at the table until I turned to Shelly and asked her to dance. She nodded and we rose and walked to the dance floor.

This time, Shelly moved into me and brought me closer. I didn't have the confidence to do this myself, but Shelly had made it easy for me. I had been conscious of her perfume earlier and, now the scent was intoxicating as I held her, dancing to a slow number. She was pushing her breasts and hips into me, and I could feel my erection growing, not knowing what to do about it.

I tried to pull my hips away from her, but she looked at me with a slow smile and pulled me back to her. She knew what she was doing and I wasn't going to resist any more. This was a whole new Shelly I was seeing tonight. I was wondering what to do about it as we were now pressed totally together with Shelly's head on my shoulder and her hips grinding gently into me. She was driving me crazy.

Shelly showed no intention of letting me go. This dance was just for me and she wanted me to know it. She couldn't help but feel my erection pressing into her, but I got the impression she was fine with that. I was as hard as stone and wondering where or how I was going to get relief.

I figured out the two women had conspired in the washroom. Was my mother trying to put the two of us together? I thought about that. So what? Shelly was a fine young woman. At first I felt sorry for her, but lately, I was feeling something quite different. She was more than just an employee now. I had an interest in her and it wasn't just as a friend. My thoughts were a lot more personal than that.

My hands slipped down her and wrapped around her waist. I was copying the other young couples on the floor. Shelly wrapped her arms around my shoulders and buried her face into my neck as we moved slowly around the dance floor. We had quit pretending. I could feel the heat from Shelly's body and I was sure Shelly could feel mine too. I took a chance and placed a light kiss on her brow.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"What for?"

"Inviting me to be here with you ... and ... tonight," she sighed.

I kissed her temple again and pulled her even closer to me.

"You're welcome. I'm having a very good time, Shelly."

She pulled back and looked at me, searching my eyes.

We danced for a while, saying nothing but holding each other closely. I thought I had never felt quite this comfortable with any woman before. My mind drifted back to Germany and my army days, and the women I had dated then. There was never any idea that they would be important to me. This was something new.

I wondered how we could have a normal relationship at the garage when I felt this way about her. She was very desirable, but she didn't know it. She wasn't a pin-up beauty, and yet she was still very lovely. I wanted to tell her, but I wasn't sure of myself.

As midnight approached, the waiters returned with stands of ice buckets containing champagne. The corks were popped before midnight and everyone sang Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of twelve. Mom turned to Jurgen and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, whispering Happy New Year. Jurgen's surprise was quickly replaced by a smile as he returned her kiss.

Shelly and I were watching them as they celebrated the magic moment, then turned to each other. I leaned forward, pulling Shelly closer, and kissed her. It was no ordinary kiss. I wanted her to know how I felt at that very second. I was willing her to feel the same way.

Shelly melted in my arms. I thought for a moment she might even faint. I had never felt anything as intense as this instant. Was it real? Would it be there tomorrow? I was afraid to think that far ahead.

We slept in on New Year's Day. The station would be closed the entire day and all four of us were grateful for another break. I awoke with a morning woody and thoughts of Shelly on my mind. She had filled my dreams again, dancing in and out of them, leaving me in confusion. How did I feel about her? Did she feel anything for me? I thought she did, but I couldn't decide what to do next.

I finished breakfast and turned on the TV. I also had football on my mind this day. The Cotton Bowl from Dallas. Undefeated Texas going against Notre Dame in the Irish's first bowl game in 45 years. I hadn't been seated on the sofa for more than five minutes when Shelly sat down beside me.

"You like football?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah ... I'm a big Husky fan," she said enthusiastically.

"Good for you. I guess I'll have to root for them too, but we're goin' to have to settle for USC and Michigan today."

"Well, I hate them Trojans, so I guess I have to go with Michigan."

It sounded like Shelly really did have a thing for football. Just another reason to like the girl, I thought.

We settled in to watch what turned out to be a great game. Shelly gradually moved closer to me and finally was leaning against me as we watched together. After a while I put my arm along the back of the sofa behind her. My hand dropped down, lightly touching her shoulder. I found out later that if I'd have looked over my shoulder, I'd have seen my mother standing in the kitchen entrance, watching us, smiling.

At the start of the second half, Shelly's late night and lack of sleep caught up to her and she drifted off, her head on my shoulder. I picked up a small cushion and carefully placed it between my arm and Shelly's cheek. She didn't stir. I spent the rest of the game trying not to disturb her. I was having trouble keeping track of the game. The sexy, female scent was distracting me.

Mom and Jurgen had gone out for a walk in the winter sunshine. When I thought back to the Montana winters, I thought it was great that here we could enjoy the outdoors in winter. There was more rain, for sure, but it was warmer and green. It was that color that I noticed more than anything.

Shelly stirred and woke just as the Texas – Notre Dame game ended.

"Who won?" she asked groggily.

"Texas. It was a hell of a game. Sorry you missed it," I said, squeezing her gently to me.

"I guess I was tired from last night. You make a nice pillow."

"My pleasure."

"How about that ... I got to sleep with the boss," she giggled.

"Don't tell my mother."

We were quiet for a while until she looked up at me and smiled. Her hand moved to my face and a finger traced the line of my jaw.

"Happy New Year, Rod," she said softly, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Happy New Year, Shelly." I was gazing into her eyes and then, without really thinking about it, I kissed her forehead and then her nose. She raised her face to me and I found her lips with a long, sensuous kiss.

We said nothing to each other. It was a special moment, maybe even an important one. I moved toward her mouth again and kissed her more deeply this time, my tongue sliding along her lips. Her mouth opened to accept me, and her hand moved to the back of my head, holding me closer.

After a while we parted, and I didn't know what to say at that moment. What should I say?

Finally, it was Shelly who broke the silence.

"Do you think this is ... something? I mean ... maybe there's ... oh ... I don't know how to say what I'm thinking!" she stammered.

I smiled and bent down to kiss here once more.

"Well ... I guess that depends on what something is. What does something mean to you?" I asked gently.

"You know ... boyfriend ... girlfriend ... that kind of something."

"Is that enough for you?"

"Uh ... I guess ... for now ... I don't know," she answered cautiously.

"Shelly, I'm not going to do anything to rush you. This is all new to both of us. Let's just see where it takes us."

"OK," she said, sounding slightly disappointed.

I wrapped both arms around her and held her close, and I heard her sigh. We stayed in each other's arms for a while until Shelly spoke.

"Rod."

"Uh huh."

"I want us to be more than ... friends." She sounded a bit more confident now.

I kissed her forehead again. "I want that too, babe."

"Good."

We separated as we heard the footsteps on the front stairs and then the porch.

Chapter 6: The Duke Arrives and Shelly Celebrates

January 2, 1969

The station reopened on Friday, January 2, 1969, at the normal time. Mike was out of school until the following Monday, so I gave Shelly the day off while Jurgen would have Saturday off. Mike would work from ten am to nine pm, Friday, with an hour for breaks.

On Sunday, Mom and I huddled to discuss the manning and expenses for the station. We had added some costs with the car and hiring Mike. My concern was over how much staffing we could take on and stay profitable. It was a numbers exercise that my mother was best equipped to handle.

"How much more work do we have ahead of us for this month, Rod?" she asked as she looked at her calculations.

"Uhm ... we are booked for this week and most of next week. That puts us to about the 15th. That's more than we normally have, but we lost a few days over the holidays. Lately, we've been having a week's worth in advance. It used to be day-to-day back in September."

"Have we lost anyone or turned them away because of this?" she asked.

"We might have. I had a couple of people come in and ask about repairs and I don't recall them coming back."

"I think we have to take a gamble here, son," my mother said uncharacteristically.

"How do you mean?"

"I think we need to gamble that the business is going to continue to grow and we need to keep up. I think we should try and find someone who can work in the shop and out front if needed."

She seemed pretty sure of herself, I thought. More importantly, she was thinking along the same lines as I was. Don't turn away good customers unless you have no choice. I nodded and smiled at my mother.

"I guess I'd better put out the word we're looking for another mechanic."

I told the others about our decision and they were pleased to be getting some help. It was Jurgen who brought up a possible problem that I hadn't recognized.

"I think we do not haf enough space for three," he said simply.

I looked at him and realized the importance of the statement. It was a two bay garage. I started to laugh.

"Trust you to find the flaw."

Jurgen shrugged, but was grinning just the same.

"Well, what we'll do to start with is rotate the hours so we aren't falling all over each other. We might be able to do some simple work in the area beside the washrooms. Changing tires, stuff like that."

"I think your mother can help you with the schedule," Jurgen suggested.